Underwater sonar systems have been used to safely and productively operate watercraft for almost a century. Conventionally, underwater sonar is often used to perform bathymetry, detect underwater hazards, find fish, and/or otherwise assist in navigation by producing data and/or imagery of a water column beneath a watercraft.
Conventional sonar systems are typically expensive and relatively difficult to manufacture. Market pressures and convenience dictate smaller and easier to use systems that include more features and produce higher quality resulting imagery. However, smaller and more accurate sonar systems, particularly with respect to transducer element size and orientation, can be more difficult to manufacture to reliable tolerances, in volume, and can be more difficult to operate reliably.
Thus, there is a need for an improved methodology to provide accurate and reliable compact sonar systems using relatively high yield methods of manufacture, particularly in the context of providing relatively high quality sonar data and/or imagery.